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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, War
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay. Not great but not terrible. Author has seeds of being good…maybe read a future work.
This books wasn’t for me. It was too abstract and I struggled to figure out who was narrating, what was going on, and how it was all connected.
fast-paced
I will always admire Rémy Ngamije’s ambition, even when it doesn’t work for me, as is the case here. This short story collection is split in two, with the “A-sides” following several major life events of a man approaching his thirtieth birthday and the “B-sides” complementing that central narrative while also standing more firmly on their own. I wanted less thematic and narrative redundancy in the “A-sides”, more engaging plots in the “B-sides” so there was something to cling to other than Ngamije’s structural experiments, and more thorough character development throughout so that I could root for this main character and the people around him more earnestly. I feel that an Ngamije several more years into his career could have pulled this project off more effectively; as it stands, the whole thing feels a bit underbaked.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I loved this. The prose, the topics covered, the unique style of putting this book together.. it was so good. There's so many quotes I wish I could share, but you'll just have to check out the book when it publishes on 12/3 :)
This is presented as a literary mixtape: an A side and a B side. A collection of short stories flip flopping between two seemingly unrelated/unconnected people. The way this story unfolds is truly unlike anything I've ever read before. I highly recommend!